Waferers Club Lady gets first Div.1 win at Fults!

On June 6^th Classic Thunder held its Tommy Fults Memorial race on Lake Pleasant in Bothell, WA. The race was sponsored by Bob VandenAkker with contributions from Safeway of Bothell and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum.

The day began with Division 1 qualifying, which would decide placement in the day’s heats of racing under the “fan plan”. Each boat got two shots at 2 lap qualifying and was ranked on a ladder. In the end, Pete Schille’s Mr. P’s had posted the fastest time out of 11 boats with his impressive second attempt. Pete took home a shiny new wristwatch provided by Safeway to commemorate his achievement. Congratulations to Pete!

The top four qualifiers waged battle against each other all day long under the fan plan. The next four did the same in the next flight and the last three in the last flight. The format made for some really good racing and proved that fast in qualifying does not always relate to being fast in a crowd. After a terrific day of racing, the number 4 qualifier, Waferers Club Lady driven by Chris Cootsona held off the charging Mr. P’s for the win. They went deck to deck the whole heat and put on a great show. Craig Mullen advanced from the second flight to bring home third with $ Bill. Dale Van Wyk’s Miss Seattle finished fourth. Jeff Howard’s Miss Budweiser finished fifth. Congratulations to Chris Cootsona’s Waferers Club Lady, winner of the 2004 Classic Thunder Tommy Fults Memorial in Division 1!

By the way, check out the Division 1 points battle. I didn’t think things could get any better than last years battle… until now. Wow!! That’s what I call great competition!

Stroh Light captures Fults Memorial in Div.2!

Division 2 competition at the Fults Memorial saw 11 boats duke it out for the top prize. It was held under regular race format and, as usual, was a wild affair. The final heat was another blistering runoff of some very fast boats. When it was all over, Pete Schille was crowned king of the hill with his Stroh Light. Close behind was the quick and consistent Coors Dry driven by Mitch Dillard. Bob VandenAkker welcomed back his Candyman and got a sweet third place finish. Congratulations to Pete Schille’s Stroh Light, winner of the 2004 Classic Thunder Fults Memorial in Division 2!

The fun didn’t stop when the racing was over. After the last bouy was picked up, we headed over to the Knights of Columbus hall for a barbecue. Talk about good food! I think I hurt myself trying to taste a little bit of everything. We had a good time hanging out and eating with our friends and families after a long day of racing. That was a great way to wind down and relax with dinner. Thanks to Pat Malaspina and his long-time high school cooking partner Bob and his family and friends. You guys did a great job on the food. These guys are truly great chefs on the grill. Homemade buffalo wings, burgers, ribs, brats, desserts and on and on. I’m getting hungry again just thinking about it. We’ll have to do that again. Thanks also to the Knights of Columbus and the Lake Pleasant RV Park staff for the use of their property and facilities. Thanks to Bob and Judy for putting together the race. Thanks to the people at Safeway of Bothell and the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum for the prizes for the event. Lastly, thanks to all of the people that showed up to help at the race and at the barbecue. You all did a great job making it all run smoothly. Everyone chipped in and we all had a great time. Thanks again for making it happen.

Next up is the Mapes Mile High Trophy race at Angle Lake in Seatac, WA. We were invited back for a second year as part of the International Festival put on by the City of Seatac. They have events going on all weekend including music, food, games and rides, and 1/10^th scale hydroplane racing presented by Classic Thunder! We had a blast last year and I expect that it will be more of the same this year. Let’s put on a great show for the folks there and have a good time doing it. The race is Sunday, June 27^th and it is race #5 for the season. Can’t believe we’re almost halfway through the season already. Hey, invite some friends and families you know out for this race. It’s a neat multi-cultural festival in the Seatac Community and I’m sure they’d enjoy it. Keep your fingers crossed for good weather. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

Sincerely,

Mitch Dillard

Classic Thunder Commissioner